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CEN

GUIDE

14

Common policy guidance for

addressing standardisationon qualification ofprofessions and personnel

Version dated 2010-04-21

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CEN GUIDE 14:2010 (E)

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Contents Page

Foreword ..............................................................................................................................................................3Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................41 Scope ......................................................................................................................................................62 Basics concepts.....................................................................................................................................63 Pre-normative phase .............................................................................................................................74 Standard drafting phase .................................................................................................................... 10Annex A EU legislative acquis ....................................................................................................................... 18Annex B List of basic terms and definitions for QPP standards ................................................................ 19Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 24

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Foreword

This document (CEN Guide 14:2010) has been prepared by CEN/BT/WG 192 "Qualifications ofprofessions / personnel", the secretariat of which is held by UNI. Subsequently, the Guide was adopted by theCEN Technical Board by Resolution BT 2/2010.

Draft Guides adopted by the responsible Committee or Group are circulated to national bodies for voting.

Publication as a Guide requires approval by simple majority of the national bodies casting a vote.

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Introduction

First discussion on CEN possible input on qualification of personnel sprang out in CEN Bureau Technique inrelation to specific situations. On that occasion CEN/BT acknowledged that standards that somehow deal withQualification of professions / personnel had already been issued in various specific sectors and demand fornew projects was increasing.

CEN/BT has recognized the need to ensure market relevance of and compatibility between standards onQualification of professions / personnel and has agreed that this could be facilitated by a common guidancefor analysing the conditions for starting standardisation on the issue and providing tools for drafting suchstandards (ref: Resolution BT C060/2006).

CEN system should deal with qualification of professions and personnel in a consistent and careful way, in

order to prevent different strategies on the same issue from spreading in Europe, and possible consequentmisunderstanding from damaging CEN system's image.

As the main legislative reference at European level in relation to qualification of professions / personnel,CEN/BT/WG 192 has identified "Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications". Annex A provides details on theEU legislative acquis, and Clause 3 offers an outline of the relationship between standardisation andlegislation, and suggestions on possible room for standardisation in the field of qualification ofprofessions / personnel in order not to hinder free circulation.

NOTE Throughout this Guide the wording "Qualification of professions / personnel" is referred to by the abbreviation"QPP".

A way to avoid creation of barriers is to consider qualification as the tool to assure the proper performance ofan element in a process. Paying attention to the global efficiency of a process, standards on QPP shouldspecify how it is possible to understand, evaluate and check if an element is able to offer the exactperformance that is expected in its being a part of a successful process.

For the purpose of assuring that European Standards on Qualification of professions / personnel remainuseful, authoritative and respected, it is of key importance that they reflect demonstrated market needs andthat they are mutually compatible to facilitate their possible joint implementation.

The objective of this Guide is to assist those involved in writing (new or revised) standards on Qualification ofprofessions / personnel to ensure that the standards meet the above-mentioned key criterion of marketrelevance, without either bringing on complexity in the European market or creating any barriers to freemovement.

Use of these guidelines should also help ensure compatibility and enhance alignment between standards onQualification of professions / personnel with a view possibly to facilitate the combined application of thestandards.

This Guide is intended to be used by all standard writers having to approach standardisation on Qualificationof professions / personnel. This Guide is addressed to the standard writers having to deal with the elaborationof European Standards. Nevertheless, CEN members are recommended to make beneficial use of it also inthe preparation of relevant national documents.

This document is meant to offer possible solutions to the question whether and how standardisation canprovide contribution to the QPP process.

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This document has been prepared focusing on a person's qualification. Nevertheless, there may be somerequests to extend the concept of qualification to an organisation. This document does not consider suchcases, but it is assumed that its approach can apply to organisations, too.

Examination by CEN/BT/WG 192 of a sample of European and International Standards on QPP has shown

that, at the time of issue of this common guidance, different technical sectors have already approached QPPin various ways. Through a classification step, analysis of the existing standards has helped to detect apossible modular structure template and three major types of standards have been detected, which reflect theapproaches on QPP that the market has found, i.e.:

the standards that mainly specify professionalism focusing on competence;

the standards that mainly define the tasks to be performed; and

the standards that mainly provide specifications on assessmentof competence.

On the grounds of the study CEN/BT/WG 192 has carried out, this Guide provides a preferable modulartemplate for the structure of European Standards on QPP, and related explanations.

The modular template provides basic, clear and sound orientation for standard writers who need to decide themethodological approach and to choose the relevant elements to be included in a QPP standard.

The template should be considered as a checklist of all the elements that could be included in a QPPstandard, among which standard writers could develop the ones they are more interested in. The templateshould also help them in identifying all the other elements that should be present in a QPP standard in orderto make the qualification process successful, to consider all possible users of the standard, to ensure marketrelevance, and therefore not to create any barriers to free movement.

With reference to terminology, following up the task "to collect basic terms and definitions", with whichCEN/BT charged CEN/BT/WG 192 by Resolution BT C060/2006, CEN/BT/WG 192 provided evidence that ataxonomy in the QPP field is necessary, and that the subject would need further development. However, atthe time of submission of this draft Guide to CEN/BT for approval, no specific documents on terminology in theQPP sector are available yet.

In the light of the purpose of assuring that standardisation on QPP can actually contribute to free movementwithout creating any barriers, the vocabulary should consider any possible definitions available at EC level,and clarify the difference between qualification and regulated professions.

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1 Scope

This Guide is intended to help standard writers to express requirements on qualification ofprofessions / personnel, in a clear and uniformed way and to be able to assess and facilitate potential new

initiatives on Qualification of Professions and Personnel in an efficient and coherent way in the Europeanmarket.

In this Guide the term "qualification" of professions / personnel is used making reference to thestandardisation "process" of qualifying a person as the candidate to perform a defined task properly.

Accordingly the Guide does not consider qualification as the job title, or as the formal outcome of anassessment process determining that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards.

It contains recommendations related to the pre-normative phase, standard drafting rules and indications onterminology. The latest point out the need to consider terminology as a basic element and as a valuablepractical instrument, when a QPP standard is to be drafted.

This Guide considers two phases of the standardisation process, i.e. the pre-normative phase (see Clause 3)and the standard drafting phase (see Clause 4), covering the following items:

policy guidance, i.e. guidance to evaluate a proposal for a standard on Qualification of professions /personnel process. In relation to that, Clause 3 aims at providing support to answer the question whetherstandardisation can contribute to the Qualification of professions / personnel process, on the grounds ofan outline on the "state of the art" on QPP, which refers to the relationship between standardisation andlegislation, mainly reporting the EU legislative acquis;

"operational" guidance, i.e. guidance offering a modular template for the structure of European Standardson Qualification of professions / personnel, with recommendations on how to deal with QPP. Clause 4aims at replying to the question of how standardisation can provide contribution to the QPP process in the

cases where, following up proper evaluation of a market's request to prepare a standard covering QPPaspects, it has been judged that the request can be met.

Clauses 3 and 4 point out the actions that are remarkable in relation to the various steps in thepre-standardisation and in the standard drafting process.

NOTE 1 Whenever in this Guide the term "standard" is used, the whole range of CEN deliverables is meant [i.e.European Standards, CEN(CENELEC) Guides, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports, Workshop Agreements]unless a specific type of document is referred to.

NOTE 2 Whenever in this Guide the term technical committee (TC) is used, all CEN technical bodies developingdeliverables are included.

2 Basics concepts

For the purpose of the application of this Guide, reference should be made to the following document:

CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations Part 3, 2009, Rules for the structure and drafting of CEN/CENELECPublications (ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, modified).

Besides, as the key to reading this Guide, this clause provides explanation of how some common basicconcepts are used in this text.

NOTE Identification of terms and definitions is the subject of standardisation activities, and it is not within the scopeof a CEN Guide prepared by a CEN/BT/WG.

This Guide makes references to the following basic concepts, the clarification of the meaning of which isreported in the perspective of facilitating common understanding and easy and effective use of the Guide.

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In defining the following concepts, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)1) has been taken intoaccount, as well as well accepted definitions identified in the European and International relevant standardsconsidered in the preparatory study that has led to this Guide:

"competence" stands for a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving

observable results;

"skill" is meant as the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solveproblems;

"knowledge" indicates the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is thebody of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study.

3 Pre-normative phase

Analysing the request for a QPP standard examining the state of the art and theapplicants expectations

When a standard writer (e.g. a CEN Technical Body or a National Standards Body that is a CEN Member)receives a request to prepare a standard covering QPP aspects, the contents of the proposal should beinterpreted in the light of the "state of the art" on QPP and the applicant's expectations and wishes should beidentified.

Information on the overall situation in the professional sector should be collected and analysed, with specificreference to the EU legislative acquis, and possibly to national situations of QPP and on the relationshipbetween legislation and standardisation at national level in the sector the proposal addresses.

Any existing (draft) European, International and National Standards on the specific subject should be

considered. Available ISO work should be examined, in accordance with CEN/CENELEC Internal regulationsand with the Global Relevance policy. It should be evaluated whether any (draft) International Standards aresuitable as reference documents and whether work could be developed within the framework of the Vienna

Agreement.

Where it can intervene, standardisation should neither hinder free movement nor create any barriers; ratherany standards on qualification of professions and/or personnel to be adopted should facilitate mobility. For thatpurpose, the complex relationship between standardisation and legislation should be studied carefully, so thatstandards are conceived as a clear tool for users, and they do not bring on any misunderstandings in relationto the existing national and European legislation.

When trying to answer the basic question of whether standardisation can provide contribution to theQualification of professions / personnel process, it should be borne in mind that two environments exist, the

compulsory one (EU legislation) and the voluntary one (standardisation). Within the complex relationshipbetween standardisation and legislation in this field, it should be clarified whether the profession:

a) is regulated by the European Community Legislation;

b) is handled by the European Community Legislation, and CEN is entrusted with the qualification of theprofessions / personnel;

c) is one for which the European Community Legislation requires qualification, without specification of whois entrusted with qualification;

1) The EQF is the European Commissions reference tool to compare the qualification levels of the differentqualifications systems. See Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on theestablishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning.

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d) is qualified by national legislation; and

e) lacks any requirements for qualification.

Careful attention should be paid to the fact that, in the QPP field, a general European Directive exists:

Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognitionof professional qualifications, and some specific Directives apply to certain specific professions (see Annex A).

With reference to the above-clarified relationship between standardisation and legislation, standards cannotadd any value to the seven professions where requirements have been harmonised at EU legislative level.

Instead, some room for standardisation can be found in the possible alternative situations that are describedhereafter.

Standardisation can intervene in the field of professions that have not been regulated by any Member States,e.g. if a professional association makes a request, choosing to apply to the voluntary world.

Besides, considering that the EC has always looked at standardisation as a means to help free circulation (in

terms of goods, services and people), following up a markets request for standardisation on a profession thatis regulated by some other Member States, European Standardisation world can find some room for work (seedetails below).

Furthermore, when the markets request rises in a Member State where the resulting national standard is usedby national legislators to underpin national regulation, if the requirements of such a national standard can beaccepted by other CEN Members, European standardisation can consider the contents of the nationalstandard as the starting point for development of a European Standard.

In other cases, where a profession somehow involves legislative aspects, the standard can also become aninstrument that will allow the regulatory authorities to grant official professional qualification. The case ofharmonised standards to the PED is an instance: the directive (Directive 97/23/EC, PED) states that"permanent joining of components which contribute to the pressure resistance of equipment and components

[] must be carried out by suitably qualified personnel []", and that suitable qualified personnel "must beapproved by a competent third party" according to "examinations and tests as set out in the appropriateharmonised standards or equivalent examinations and tests []". In that case, standards are used as aninstrument that allows the regulatory authorities to grant official professional qualification.

In order to take into account what explained above, in the pre-normative phase, it is very important to checkwhether the profession, for which European standardisation is proposed, is regulated by any Member States.In that case, European standardisation is feasible if it respects one of the following possibilities:

1) the scope of the European Standard does not cover the aspects that are regulated by the MemberState(s);

2) the contents of the European Standard are fully compatible and consistent with the provisions of theMember State regulation(s);

3) the provisions of the Member State regulation(s) are included in the European Standard as A-deviations. That means that, in the foreword of the EN, the standards users' attention should bedrawn to the existence of national regulations and an informative annex to the EN should list theCountries having the A-deviation, providing all relevant information (clear identification of the nationalregulations concerned and of the clauses of the standard in conflict with these regulations).

In the preliminary analysis, careful attention should also be paid to the identification of any provisions fordiplomas or any other similar documents/certificates that are issued either within a State education system orby other organisations to mark the achieved qualification. It should be borne in mind that the content of suchdocuments may be defined by Unions and it should not compete with standardisation.

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Identifying all possibly interested parties and users

Careful attention should be paid to writing a QPP standard that could be the unique reference document to allthe possible users, e.g.:

those who perform the professional activity;

those who offer a professional activity;

those who profit from the professional activity;

those who purchase a professional activity;

those who evaluate competence or issue qualification or who require qualification.

The request to deal with QPP may originate from a single stakeholder or it may involve several stakeholders.

The applicants requesting standardisation on QPP may be the people performing a profession (or the relatedprofessional association), or the entities that wish to evaluate the personnel performing the profession.

The requested work on QPP may be intended to be applicable to all sectors horizontally, or it may ratheraddress one single sector.

The qualification may be necessary with reference to a service or to a production process.

The job to be considered may be the tasks that an enterprise internal personnel perform or the professionalactivity that external personnel providing services deliver.

The scope of standards may be a person or a professional activity.

A standard on QPP (being a standard on services, professionals, education, assessment etc.) may havedifferent type of users. It is important that the various user groups are considered and, if necessary, thestandard could be divided into different parts, one for each target group.

Judging whether the proposal is feasible or it should be rejected

The results of the above-explained analysis will be recorded in a feasibility study report, which will be thebasic document to judge whether the request for a QPP standard is feasible or it cannot be met (e.g. if itaddresses one of the EU regulated professions).

If a proposal for new work covers any aspects related to qualification of professions / personnel, that piece ofinformation should be indicated clearly in all the relevant documents from the very beginning, i.e. from

submission of the proposal (e.g. in Form A or Form N, and in the formatted resolutions for pre-adoption andadoption of new work items).

The feasibility decision on the grounds of the study report is taken by the appropriate body, according to thetype of proposal: if the proposal falls within the scope of an existing CEN Technical Committee, a TCdelegated resolution for adoption of new work items is taken; if the proposal addresses a new standardisationarea, it is submitted to CEN/BT vote, in accordance with Resolution BT C75/2009.

It is recommended that all efforts should be made to allocate new work related to qualification of professions /personnel to already existing CEN Technical Bodies.

If the proposal is feasible, the involved standard writers should be in a position to detect the best solution tosatisfy the applicant's demand (see Clause 4).

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4 Standard drafting phase

Choosing a methodological approach

If, following up preparatory analyses of needs and possibly interested parties, it has been judged that themarket's request to prepare a standard covering QPP aspects can be met, then an answer should be found tothe question of how standardisation can provide contribution to the QPP process in the specific case.

The standard to be prepared could be a dedicated QPP standard, but also a service standard or another kindof standard, which could address QPP only in some of its clauses (which should be specified in the scope).With reference to that, however, for standard users' sake, if possible, it is recommended to split a service orprocess standard that would also involve QPP into different parts, one part dealing with the service or processand another dedicated to the competence requirements and their assessment.

QPP standards should be consistent one with another. A common methodology for the drafting phase will helpCEN system to assure consistency of all QPP standards.

The analysis that has been carried in the pre-normative phase to evaluate the feasibility of a QPP proposal, inparticular the definition of the possibly interested parties and of the users, and the understanding of theapplicant's expectations, is also useful to devise the methodology to be followed in drafting the standard.

The methodology can mainly focus:

on competence, i.e. trying to answer the question of what a person should be and what he/she shouldknow to be suitable for a certain profession/job;

on the tasks to be performed, i.e. trying to answer the question of what a person should be able to do tobe suitable for a certain job/task; and

on assessment of competence, i.e. trying to answer the question of how a person is assessed to beconsidered suitable for a certain job/task.

It is worth pointing out that the methodology that each specific standard can follow does not univocally refer toone of the three above-mentioned approaches. Generally one of the three approaches may prevail in eachQPP standard, but standards are more likely to combine different approaches. Some standards even containelements of all the three approaches.

Attention should be paid to judging to what extent combination of different methodological approaches isfeasible, taking into account how consistent with one another they can be.

Defining the standard scope, title and contents

In the light of what defined above, the scope and the title of the QPP standard should be conceived makingsure that they are consistent one with another and with the contents that have been foreseen on the groundsof the chosen methodological approach.

Titles should identify the object of the qualification process, without making use of the word "qualification". Theword "competence" can appear in the main or the complementary elements of the title (e.g. EN XXXXX:YYYY

"Standard writers Competence").

In case a standard is not a dedicated QPP standard, but it addresses QPP only in some of its clauses, thescope should clearly specify what clauses cover QPP aspects and the title should possibly include similar

information in its main or complementary elements (e.g. ENXXXXX:YYYY "Standard writing servicesRequirements for the service and competence of standard writers").

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Providing terms and definitions

According to the typical structure of a standard in CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulation Part 3 and in thedocument Hands on standardization A starters guide to standardization for experts in CEN TechnicalBodies), Terms and definitions is one of the clauses that can be included in a standard. This clause specifies

the definitions necessary for the proper understanding of the terms used in the standard.

It is recommended to draft a clause on terms and definitions bearing in mind that:

in the light of the purpose of assuring that standardisation on QPP can actually contribute to freemovement without creating any barriers, any (general and sectorial) documents, in legislative andnormative fields, concerning terminology should be examined carefully. In particular, any existing termsand definitions available at EC level should be considered;

at the time of submission of this draft Guide to CEN/BT for approval, no documents on terminology in theQPP sector are available yet. Any future CEN documents concerning terminology on QPP should betaken into due account;

for the ease for standard drafters, Annex B of this Guide provides a list of basic terms and definitions forQPP standards, which have been identified in the European Qualification Framework and in theEuropean and International relevant standards that have been taken into consideration in the preparatorystudy that has led to this Guide;

vocabulary should be an effective and practical supporting instrument to anyone addressingstandardisation on QPP and consequently it should reflect the structure of the modular template forstandards that is part of this Guide.

Identifying the elements to be dealt with in the standard - Instructions for use of themodular template

After all the above-mentioned analyses, standard drafters should identify all the elements that should beincluded in a QPP standard. This Guide offers an overall collection of possible elements, structured in theform of a modular template, which covers the three above-mentioned methodological approaches.

The modular template offered in Table 1 aims at:

assisting users in understanding the underlying principles beyond the QPP standard and in implementingthe provisions of the standard; and

supporting standard writers in establishing a consistent and logical structure.

The way QPP is described is essential for customers, educators, employers etc. to understand and to

compare various qualifications. Therefore, it is essential to draft the requirements in a structured andstandardised way.

QPP requirements should be clearly described, bearing in mind the need for certain requirements and theintended target groups.

Standard writers could develop the elements listed in Table 1 in which they are more interested, according tothe chosen combination of approaches of the standard.

The template should be used in the following way to analyse and to structure QPP requirements (see also thetable footnotes at the bottom).

The first four left-hand columns list all the possible elements that can be included in a QPP standard.

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The listed elements include the minimum (compulsory or possible) elements in the typical structure of allstandards (not only QPP ones), as well as the elements that are specifically relevant for QPP standards.

The three right-hand columns, grouped under the heading "relevance of the element vs. methodologicalapproach", describe to what extent each element is relevant to the intended QPP standard, in relation to the

chosen methodological approach. On the grounds of how relevant an element may be for an identifiedmethodological approach, these three columns provide criteria for choice of what elements to cover in thestandard to be drafted.

Hereafter the wording used in the table is explained:

"to be included" denotes the elements to be included in all standards, not only in QPP ones, as aminimum: foreword, scope and main provisions (e.g. recommendations, requirements). These elementsare part of the typical structure of any standards, as provided in CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations Part 3 and in document Hands on standardization A starters guide to standardization for experts in CENTechnical Bodies, CEN, May 2008.Beside foreword and scope, which are common to all standards, not only QPP ones, the elementsreferred to in Table 1 as "to be included" are the suggested main provisions a QPP standard should

consist of;

"possibly to be included" denotes the elements that can be included in all standards, not only in QPPones, if necessary, but that are not compulsory (e.g. Annexes). Also these elements are part of the typicalstructure of any standards;

"recommended" indicates that the element is peculiarly relevant for a specific methodological approach,or that it is recommended to be included in the QPP standard in order to avoid barriers to free movement(e.g. in Table 1 n.1.3 "tasks to be performed" in a QPP standard that mainly defines the tasks to beperformed);

"possibly relevant" applies to elements that are not the peculiar ones for a certain methodologicalapproach, but that can be relevant to that approach nevertheless, taking into account that QPP standardsare likely to combine different approaches;

a cell is empty when the element does not really fit into a methodological approach.

Specifically, the Introduction should provide explanation of the reasons that have led to choosing theelaboration of a standard as the best solution to answer a QPP problem.

The clause on terms and definitions should be drafted following the recommendations in this Guide.

A clause named "Principle" should provide explanation about the methodological approach the qualification ofprofessions / personnel standard is based on.

In line with the principles that apply to product standards and conformity assessment (see the Guidance"Product standards and conformity assessment" on CEN/BOSS, as approved by Resolution BT 16/2004,which confirmed Resolution BT 68/2000), no specific details should be provided on certification also in QPPstandards. In case certification is to be covered anyhow, a specific request for approval should be made toCEN/BT, and the standard should only contain the indication that reference should be made to the existing(draft) standards and guides prepared by CEN/CENELEC/TC 1 "Criteria for conformity assessment bodies"and ISO/CASCO "Committee on conformity assessment".

The template should be considered as a checklist of all the elements that could be included in a QPPstandard, among which standard writers could chose to develop the ones they are more interested in. Thetemplate should also help them in identifying all the other elements that should be present in a QPP standardin order to make the process successful and not to create any barriers.

All the elements of the modular template that are "to be included", "recommended" and "possibly relevant",according to the methodological approach, should be considered and possibly inserted in the standard.

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EXAMPLE If the methodological approach mainly focuses on competence, as provided by the modular template,standard drafters will write at least general clauses on competence (see n.2 in Table 1), with general description ofknowledge and skills (n.2.3.1).It is also recommended that they should outline general parameters allowing to gain the required knowledge and skills(n.2.4.1), and it will be possible to specify these parameters in detail (n.2.4.2, n.2.4.3, n.2.4.4). If necessary, it will also bepossible to add description of personal attributes (n.2.2).

Besides, it is recommended that standard drafters focusing on competence should include some general elements on theinvolved job/service/process (see n.1.1 in Table 1). In relation to that, it will be possible to decide whether, and to whatextent, to add details on process flow / phases (n.1.2), tasks to be performed (n.1.3) and associated responsibilities(n.1.4).As well, it is recommended that, if focusing on competence, standard writers should consider whether to write generalclauses on evaluation / assessment (see n.3.1 in Table 1); and they will be allowed to consider whether to add a generaldescription of the evaluation / assessment process (n.3.3.1), and of the candidate's eligibility requirements (n.3.4).Upon request from stakeholders and reflecting the markets needs, it may be chosen to deal with details on

evaluation / assessment methods (n.3.3.2), conduct of evaluation / assessment (n.3.3.3) and relevant repetitions (n.3.3.4)and exemptions (n.3.3.5).

Checking consistency of the resulting standard (i.e. contents and structure) with the titleand the scope, and with the common methodology for QPP standards

In a standard dealing with QPP, the title, the scope, and the actual contents should be consistent with oneanother. Ambiguous and misleading wording should be avoided.

When drafting text for common elements of QPP standards, the same wording should be used when the samemeaning is expressed.

Finally, the resulting standard should be in line with the common methodology for QPP standards this Guideprovides, and therefore it should be consistent with other QPP standards.

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Table 1 Modular template for the structure of European Standards on QPP

Element Relevance of the element vs.methodological approach

approachfocussing on

competence


tasks


assessment

0.1 Introductiona recommended recommended recommended

0.2 Forewordb to be included to be included to be included

1 Scopeb to be included to be included to be included

2 Normative Referencec possibly to be

includedpossibly to beincluded

possibly to beincluded

3 Terms and definitionsd recommended recommended recommended

n.0 Principlee to be included to be included to be included

n.1 Description of job,service or process (bytasks)

n.1.1 General (Objectives,principles,)

recommended to be included recommended

n.1.2 Process n.1.2.1 General possibly relevant to be included possibly relevant

n.1.2.2 Description ofprocess flow

possibly relevant recommended possibly relevant

n.1.2.3 Phases of the

process


n.1.3 Tasks to be performed n.1.3.1 General possibly relevant to be included possibly relevant

n.1.3.2 Detailed list oftasks


n.1.4 Responsibilities associatedto tasks or elements to beconsidered in association witheach task

possibly relevant possibly relevant possibly relevant

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approachfocussing oncompetence


tasks

approachfocussing onassessment

n.2 Competence n.2.1 General to be included recommended recommended

n.2.2 Personal attributes n.2.2.1 Professional

behaviour


n.2.2.2 Ethicalprinciples


n.2.3 Knowledge and skills n.2.3.1 Generalknowledge and skills

to be included possibly relevant possibly relevant

n.2.3.2 Specificknowledge and skills


n.2.4 Parameters allowing togain the required knowledge andskills

f

n.2.4.1 General recommended possibly relevant possibly relevant

n.2.4.2 Education possibly relevant possibly relevant possibly relevant

n.2.4.3 Workexperience


n.2.4.4 Training n.2.4.4.1 Generalspecification ofthe training


n.2.4.4.2 Specific

requirements forthe provision ofthe training

possibly relevant possibly relevant

n.2.5 Maintenance andimprovement of competence

gpossibly relevant possibly relevant

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tasks


n.3 Evaluation /Assessment

n.3.1 General recommended recommended to be included

n.3.2 Professional competence

to be evaluated/assessed (orlevels of competence to beevaluated/assessed)

h

possibly relevant possibly relevant to be included

n.3.3 Evaluation / Assessmentprocess

n.3.3.1 General possibly relevant possibly relevant recommended

n.3.3.2 Evaluation /Assessment methods


n.3.3.3 Conduct ofevaluation /assessment


n.3.3.4 Re-evaluation /Re-assessment


n.3.3.5 Competenceevaluation /assessment exemption


n.3.4 Candidate eligibilityrequirements for evaluation /assessment

n.3.4.1 General possibly relevant possibly relevant possibly relevant

n.3.4.2 Specific

requirements


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tasks


Annexesc possibly to be

includedpossibly to beincluded

possibly to beincluded

Bibliography

c

possibly to beincluded possibly to beincluded possibly to beincluded

a Explanation of the reasons that have led to choosing the elaboration of a standard as the best solution to answer a QPP problem.

b Minimum compulsory element in the typical structure of all standards (not only QPP ones).

c Applicable element in the typical structure of all standards (not only QPP ones), if necessary.

d With reference to terms and definitions, the users of this Guide should follow the recommendations in this Guide.

e Explanation about the methodological approach the qualification of professions / personnel standard is based on.

f This section can vary according to the importance given to different parameters, which can be specified in a general or more detailed way. For example, parameters can be specificallydefined in the standard, or it can be said that they should be established by organisations or sufficient to acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills described in point x . Specificparameters could be: training programme, timeframe, methodology, common and specific theoretical subjects, practical training, assessment for qualification, requirements of trainingproviders,

g For example: continual professional development gained through training, private study, seminars, meetings, additional work experience, etc.

h It can be described making general reference to the tasks to be performed or to the required competence to be possessed.

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Annex A

EU legislative acquis

The main legislative framework at European level in relation to qualification of professions / personnel is setby "Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognitionof professional qualifications". The objective of the EC Directive is to ensure that a professional qualified inone Member State will enjoy the recognition of his/her qualifications for the pursuit of the same profession inany other Member States where the profession is regulated. Thus, mobility in work will be fostered.

From the legislative point of view, the current situation provides for harmonised training requirements forseven regulated professions (doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinary surgeons, midwives, pharmacists and

architects), whereas for all other professions regulated by Member States (more than 8002)), a general systemof mutual recognition applies.

The new Directive 2005/36/EC has repealed the overall set of Directives on recognition of professional

qualification3). The beneficiaries are all EU and EEA citizens. For the time being, negotiations are progressing

in relation to the possible application of Directive 2005/36/EC to Switzerland, too4). The basic principles aremutual trust, access to the same profession as that for which the professional is qualified in his/her homeMember State, and pursue of the profession under the same conditions as nationals. The Directive is notmeant to regulate any professions at European level, but to facilitate "circulation" of professionals, grantingrecognition in all Countries.

2) Source: European Commission.

3) For certain professions, recognition of professional qualification is still governed by specific Directives. For thoseprofessions for which other specific arrangements directly related to the recognition of professional qualifications areestablished in separate Directives, the corresponding provisions of Directive 2005/36/EC do not apply - see article 2(3) ofDirective 2005/36/EC.

4) At the time of preparation of the current document, no formal decision on the application of Directive2005/36/EC to Swiss citizens has been taken yet. For the time being, the former Directives, repealed by Directive2005/36/EC, remain applicable between Switzerland and EU Member States.

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Annex B

List of basic terms and definitions for QPP standards

B.1 General

For the ease of standard drafters this Annex provides a list of basic terms and definitions for QPP standards.

Each term is associated to the corresponding definitions identified in the European Qualification Frameworkand in the European and International relevant standards that have been taken into consideration in thepreparatory study that has lead to this Guide.

NOTE Some of the definitions that are collected hereafter specifically involve reference to certification. It is to benoted that this Annex simply reports the terms and definitions as they are in the source standards. Therefore, in the light ofthe indications in Clause 4, for the purposes of this Guide, the following definitions should be read bearing in mind thatQPP standards should not provide any specific details on certification and that, in case certification is to be coveredanyhow, a specific request for approval should be made to CEN/BT.

B.2 Qualification

qualificationa formal outcome of an assessment and validation process which is obtained when a competent bodydetermines that an individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards

[EQF1), Annex I]

qualificationdemonstration of physical attributes, knowledge, skill, training and experience required to properly performNDT tasks[ISO 9712:2005, definition 3.23; ISO 20807:2004, definition 3.21; and EN 473:2008, definition 3.23]

qualificationprocess of demonstrating whether an entity is capable of fulfilling specified requirements[ISO/IEC 12207:2008, definition 4.31]

qualification processprocess (3.4.1) to demonstrate the ability to fulfil specified requirements (3.1.2)

NOTE 1 The term qualified is used to designate the corresponding status.

NOTE 2 Qualification can concern persons, products (3.4.2), processes or systems (3.2.1). EXAMPLE Auditorqualification process, material qualification process.

[EN ISO 9000:2005, definition 3.8.6]

qualificationdemonstration of personal attributes, education, training and/or work experience[EN ISO/IEC 17024:2003, definition 3.11]

qualificationthe skill, training, knowledge, experience and, when applicable, the visual acuity required for personnel toproperly perform to a particular level[EN 4179:2005, definition 3.23]

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qualificationevidence of training, professional knowledge, skill and experience as well as physical fitness to enable NDTpersonnel to properly perform NDT tasks[EN 10256:2000, definition 3.1]

qualificationprocedure based on a set of rules leading to the formal assessment of an applicant by a Qualification Bodyagainst set obligations, including administrative, legal, financial, safety, quality, environmental and technicalaspects[EN 14969:2006, definition 3.20]

qualificationevidence of training, professional knowledge, skill and experience to enable the personnel to perform therequired tasks[EN 15085-1:2007, definition 3.8]

B.3 Personnel

cathodic protection personnelpersonnel who devote a regular and significant percentage of their professional activity to the practicalapplication of cathodic protection within one or more of the application sectors[EN 15257:2006, definition 3.3]

B.4 Competence / competency

competencethe proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/or methodological abilities, in work orstudy situations and in professional and personal development

[EQF1), Annex I]

competenceapplication of knowledge, skills, and behaviours in performance[ISO 10015:1999, definition 3.1]

competency

ability to perform the activities within an occupation or function to the standard expected in the task

NOTE Competent use and operation of industrial equipment is defined in terms of core knowledge and skills andapplications required for particular types of work associated with the use and application of different classes of equipment.It covers demonstrated knowledge and skills in identifying hazards and eliminating or minimizing risks arising fromhazards, safe and healthy work practices, and employer and employee responsibilities as defined in the general duties of

care, occupational health and safety legislation.[ISO 15513:2000, definition 3.5]

competenceability to perform satisfactorily the activities within an occupation[EN 378-1:2008, definition 3.8.1]

competencedemonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills

NOTE The concept of competence is defined in a generic sense in this International Standard. The word usage canbe more specific in other ISO documents.

[EN ISO 9000:2005, definition 3.1.6]

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competencedemonstrated ability to apply knowledge and/or skills and, where relevant, demonstrated personal attributes,as defined in the certification scheme[EN ISO/IEC 17024:2003, definition 3.6]

competencedemonstrated personal attributes and demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills[EN ISO 19011:2002, definition 3.14]

competenceability to perform safely and satisfactorily the activities within an occupation

NOTE With reference to this standard to be competent means to have the knowledge and/or skill to perform thetask(s) under consideration, so that a level according to this European Standard is achieved and simultaneously topossess the necessary insight into the relevant problems to understand why the task should be carried out in such a way.

[EN 13313:2001, definition 3.3]

competence

ability of personnel to undertake tasks at specific levels and in specific cathodic protection application sectorsin accordance with existing European Standards on cathodic protection. This is demonstrated by appropriatelevels of training, professional knowledge, skill and experience[EN 15257:2006, definition 3.8]

competencea demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving observable results[CWA 15893-2:2008, 2.2]

B.5 Knowledge

knowledge

the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles,theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study

[EQF1), Annex I]

broad general knowledge

awareness and basic understanding over the breadth of the subject, but not to the depth that would beexpected of a specialist in the specific subject area[ISO 22222:2005, definition 3.1]

knowledgeset of "know-what"[CWA 15893-2:2008, 2.2]

B.6 Experience

industrial experienceexperience, acceptable to the certification body, gained under qualified supervision, in the application of theNDT method in the sector concerned, needed to acquire the skill and knowledge to fulfil the provisions ofqualification[ISO 9712:2005, definition 3.11; and EN 473:2008, definition 3.11]

experienceperiod during which the candidate carried out, under supervision, the NDT application for which qualification issought

[ISO 20807:2004, definition 3.12]

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experienceknowledge and skills acquired while participating in the application of the personal financial planning processand related activities[ISO 22222:2005, definition 3.10]

experienceactual performance or observation conducted in the work environment resulting in the acquisition ofknowledge and skill - This does not include classroom or laboratory training but does include on-the-jobtraining[EN 4179:2005, definition 3.10]

industrial cathodic protection experienceexperience in the applicable cathodic protection techniques and field of application concerned, which leads tothe required skill and knowledge[EN 15257:2006, definition 3.12]

B.7 Skill

skillthe ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems

[EQF1), Annex I]

skillability to carry out managerial or technical tasks[CWA 15893-2:2008, 2.2]

B.8 Training

job-specific traininginstruction, provided by the employer (or his agent) to the certificate holder in those aspects of non-destructivetesting specific to the employers products, NDT equipment, NDT procedures, and applicable codes,standards, specifications and procedures, leading to the award of operating authorizations[ISO 9712:2005, definition 3.13]

training

process to provide and develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to meet requirements[ISO 10015:1999, definition 3.2]

formal trainingan organized and documented program of activities designed to impart the knowledge and skills necessary tobe qualified to this standard - Formal training may be a mix of classroom, practical and programmed self-

instruction as approved by the responsible Level 3 or NANDTB[EN 4179:2005, definition 3.11]

B.9 Assessment / Evaluation

assessmentprocess of judging competency against prescribed standards of performance[ISO 15513:2000, definition 3.3]

evaluationprocess that assesses a persons fulfilment of the requirements of the scheme, leading to a decision on

certification[EN ISO/IEC 17024:2003, definition 3.8]

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evaluationa review, following interpretation of the indications noted during an NDT inspection, to determine whether theymeet specified acceptance criteria or to determine its significance[EN 4179:2005, definition 3.8]

conformity assessmentdemonstration that specified requirements (3.1) relating to a product (3.3), process, system, person or bodyare fulfilled

NOTE 1 The subject field of conformity assessment includes activities defined elsewhere in this International Standard,such as testing (4.2), inspection (4.3) and certification (5.5), as well as the accreditation (5.6) of conformity assessmentbodies (2.5).

NOTE 2 The expression object of conformity assessment or object is used in this International Standard toencompass any particular material, product, installation, process, system, person or body to which conformity assessmentis applied. A service is covered by the definition of a product (see Note 1 to 3.3).

[EN ISO/IEC 17000:2004, definition 2.1; and, without notes 1 and 2, ISO 22222:2005, definition 3.5]

assessmentprocess by which the evidence generated, gathered and provided about a person is judged to determinecompetence[EN 13313:2001, definition 3.1]

certification assessmentassessment of competence by examination or general assessment (for level 3 only)[EN 15257:2006, definition 3.5]

B.10 Candidate

candidate

individual seeking qualification and certification who gains experience under the supervision of suitablyqualified personnel[ISO 9712:2005, definition 3.3; and EN 473:2008, definition 3.3]

candidate

individual seeking qualification and who gains experience under the supervision of suitably qualified personnel[ISO 20807:2004, definition 3.1]

candidateapplicant who has fulfilled specified prerequisites, allowing his/her participation in the certification process[EN ISO/IEC 17024:2003, definition 3.2]

candidate

person seeking qualification[EN 10256:2000, definition 3.4]

candidateperson applying for certification for a given level in a given application sector[EN 15257:2006, definition 3.2]

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Bibliography

[1] Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 September 2005 on therecognition of professional qualifications, Official Journal L 255 dated 2005-09-30

[2] Directive 97/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 May 1997 on the approximationof the laws of the Member States concerning pressure equipment, Official Journal L 181 dated 1997-07-09

[3] Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment ofthe European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, Official Journal C 111 dated

2008-05-06

[4] EN 378-1:2008, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps Safety and environmental requirements Part1: Basic requirements, definitions, classification and selection criteria

[5] EN 473:2008, Non-destructive testing Qualification and certification of NDT personnel Generalprinciples

[6] EN 4179:2005,Aerospace series Qualification and approval of personnel for non-destructive testing

[7] EN 10256:2000, Non-destructive testing of steel tubes Qualification and competence of level 1 and 2non-destructive testing personnel

[8] EN 13313:2001, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps Competence of personnel

[9] EN 14969:2006, Railway applications Track Qualification system for railway trackwork contractors

[10] EN 15085-1:2007, Railway applications Welding of railway vehicles and components Part 1:General

[11] EN 15257:2006, Cathodic protection Competence levels and certification of cathodic protectionpersonnel

[12] EN 15565:2008, Tourism services Requirements for the provision of professional tourist guide trainingand qualification programmes

[13] EN 45020:2006, Standardization and related activities General vocabulary (ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004)

[14] EN ISO 9000:2005, Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary (ISO 9000:2005)

[15] EN ISO/IEC 17000:2004, Conformity assessment Vocabulary and general principles(ISO/IEC 17000:2004)

[16] EN ISO/IEC 17024:2003, Conformity assessment General requirements for bodies operatingcertification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2003)

[17] EN ISO 19011:2002, Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing(ISO 19011:2002)

[18] CWA 15893-2:2008, European e-Competence Framework Part 2: User Guidelines Version 1.0

[19] ISO 9712:2005, Non-destructive testing Qualification and certification of personnel

[20] ISO 10015:1999, Quality management Guidelines for training

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[21] ISO 15513:2000, Cranes Competency requirements for crane drivers (operators), slingers, signallersand assessors

[22] ISO 20807:2004, Non-destructive testing Qualification of personnel for limited application of non-destructive testing

[23] ISO 22222:2005, Personal financial planning Requirements for personal financial planners

[24] ISO/IEC 12207:2008, Systems and software engineering Software life cycle processes

[25]Hands on standardization A starters Guide to standardization for experts in CEN Technical Bodies,CEN, May 2008

[26]Guidelines to assist members of standards committees in preparing user-oriented European Standards,

First edition, 2008-04, IFAN (International Federation of Standards Users)

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